CR, Mendocino to pursue MOU

The board of trustees of the Redwoods Community College District unanimously approved a recommendation from Kathy Smith, president of College of the Redwoods, to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with Mendocino College to allow classes to continue at CR's Fort Bragg campus in the fall.

Several Mendocino Coast residents traveled to Eureka to address the trustees during the Tuesday meeting. Dan Gjerde, Mendocino County 4th District supervisor, and Tom Allman, Mendocino County Sheriff, both spoke, in addition to several students who urged the board to reverse the announced transfers of three full-time faculty from the Fort Bragg campus. Coast students who addressed the trustees included Caroline Iacuaniello, Kathy Hallenbeck, Emily Scott and Todd Rowen.

Smith recommends negotiating a memorandum of understanding with Mendocino College to offer classes in the Mendocino County portion of the Redwoods Community College District for the academic year 2014-2015.

The board also approved Smith's recommendations to begin immediate discussions with Mendocino College about the potential future transfer of the Mendocino County portion of RCCD to the Mendocino Community College District.

"This is a great new development," said Barbara Rice, Mendocino Coast trustee. "It paves the way for Mendocino College's administration and board of trustees to discuss whether or not they would like to pursue operation of the Mendocino Coast Campus."

Arturo Reyes, president of Mendocino College, said he will visit the coast campus on Monday, March 17, with members of his administrative cabinet.

The about face comes after the CR Board of Trustees held a packed public hearing in Fort Bragg on Feb. 17 about the Mendocino Coast campus. In two hours, three dozen coastal residents expressed the community's desire to keep the campus operational while the region is transferred to Mendocino College, which is based in Ukiah.

It has been difficult for College of the Redwoods to effectively operate a campus located three hours away from the main campus. In contrast, the main campus of Mendocino College is only 1.5 hours away from Fort Bragg.

There was also testimony by coastal residents at the public hearing regarding the similarities between Fort Bragg and Mendocino College in regards to demographics, community identity and local educational interests.

Administrators from CR and from Mendocino College have already begun to discuss the possibilities of Mendocino College offering classes on the Mendocino County coast as early as the fall semester, the March 4 agenda says.

The agenda further says, "This action will also provide a clear statement to the Mendocino College Board of Trustees and to its administration regarding College of the Redwoods' support of a short-term and long-term solution for the students of the Mendocino County coast," the agenda says.

The agenda for the March 4 meeting is available at www.redwoods.edu/district/board/index.asp.